Student Spotlight on Alborz Omidian SOM Class of 2022

You're attending medical school during a once-in-a-century pandemic. How has the covid crisis shaped your experience?

It has been an emotionally and logistically challenging experience. Everywhere we go, we see providers trying their hardest to do good work in a healthcare system that is being pushed to the limit. It's easy to get pessimistic, and there's certainly less time for teaching, but also more opportunities to step out of one's comfort zone and to actually be a member of a healthcare team.

Has the pandemic affected your current rotations? What does a typical day look like?

It depends on the rotation. Whenever possible, we are kept away from COVID positive patients. Huge chunks of certain rotations have been made virtual, and it's not uncommon to be put on quarantine and have to miss large portions of clinical time. It has been hard, but somehow we are still here and still learning, so we must keep going.

Alborz Omidian SOM Class of 2022 on clinical rotations

How has NYMC prepared you for your rotations? For your future career?

The strongest aspect of NYMC is the dedication of its faculty. Medical education is largely the same no matter where you go to school, so the value of your education really comes down to how much the institution cares about you. We are lucky to have an extraordinary support network of physician teachers and leaders who always have our back.

Why did you choose a career in medicine? What is your dream job?

To pursue a lifestyle in which I could go to sleep every night knowing I had somehow advanced the project of humanity, if even a little.